This month, Dr. Temple Grandin answers questions about accommodations and jobs.

Q Jenna asks, “I’m autistic. How do I talk about it so people understand what I need and don’t treat me like a kid, not smart, or somehow less than they are?”

A Should you let everyone else know that you’re autistic? The way I look at it is that if you’re at work and everything is going just great, I would not disclose. If there is an issue with the lights, you can state, “LED lights give me headaches,” or something very specific like that.

These are very common situations where accommodations are needed. I had a student who had a problem with the lights. Back then, they were fluorescent lights. She would space out and could not function because the lighting was so bad.

People who have had a head injury can also have this problem with the LED lighting. Also, some people who are not autistic can get migraines because of the flickering light. There is a certain segment of the autistic population who are bothered by flickering LED lights.